My research has taken me through many interesting reading about community-based art education and libraries. Even though I work in a library and have frequented libraries my whole life, I didn’t know much about libraries’ history. I read a great article about the future of libraries by Frey. This articles makes us reflect about the future of printed books and consequently the future of libraries. If printed books are phasing out, will library be reduced too online only? Libraries are moving more and more towards online databases, buying less books, CDs, DVDs… Frey suggests that libraries move towards a cultural center for the community (which has been like that in some countries). It takes into perspective something that we often forget and it’s how much our world is changing. It’s happening so fast, we hardly get a chance to adapt. As our world change, so are the institutions surrounding us and their purpose in our society. Libraries are mainly a source of information; librarians are now called information specialists, since their main role is to find information for patrons (or customers) not just finding books.
Another resource I found interesting was a book called Histories of Community-Based Art Education by Congdon & Boughton. This book is a collection of chapters written by many scholars talking about different aspect of community-based art education and how they came about. It was a view on community-based art education I had never seen or read about before. One chapter in particular attracted my attention with a connection with library “crafts” program: Kit crafts and the people who make them: A history of pre-packaged pedagogy since 1930 by Agostinone-Wilson. The author recalls how “craft” has changed over the years with pre-made kits allowing anybody to be able to make something (paint by numbers, scrapbooking, model cars…). She also mentions how before pre-packaged kits came about, an artist or crafter had to make mix their glue, paints and were more involve with the process. If we think of a quilter who used to create their own patterns and stitch by hand (or machine), as now you can buy a machine that quilts for you by following a pattern you buy; or embroiders filigree initials in fabric. Should we consider them crafters? Did the term “craft” changed over the years and doesn’t represent what it used to?
As for the articles we read over the semester two really resonated with me and left me thinking and wondering. One was about qualitative research results presented as poetry and drama play: Poetics, dramatics, and transgressive validity: The case of the skipped line by Richardson. The other was The potency of humor and instructional self-efficacy on art teacher stress by Evans Palmer. Both articles enlighten me in ways research can take place and how we can display our results. I might not use these methods for this particular research, but it opens up a variety of creative options. Art educators being creative people, I wonder how come we haven’t had more creative outcomes from researches.
Congdon, K. G., & Boughton, D. (Eds.). (1998). Advances in program
evaluation: Vol. 4. Evaluating art education programs in community centers: international perspectives on problems. Greenwich, Conn: JAI.
Evans-Palmer, T. (2010). The potency of humor and instructional self-efficacy on
art teacher stress. Studies in Art Education, 52(1), 69-83.
Frey, T. & Sloan, T.(2010). Newsmaker: The future of libraries: Interview with
Thomas Frey. American Libraries, 41(8), 21.
Richardson, L. (1993). Poetics, dramatics, and transgressive validity: The case of
the skipped line. Sociological Quarterly, 34(4), 695-710.
Please don't tell me that they are going to do away with libraries!! I love to read - and from a book. I've tried reading from the computer or an ipad, and its just not the same. I hear the same thing about newspapers, but I hoping that isn't true either. Change can be good, but then so can staying the same.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we don't have creative outcomes from researchers because the rules are so hard to follow!
I don't like reading from screens either! I have to print each articles and higlight and write notes and such... and I know you can do that on a nook or kindle, but it' not the same to me.
ReplyDeleteEvery year the library's budget diminishes and every year they talk about redefining ourselves. I think printed books are not going to disapear in our life time, but I can see it happening in 2-3 generations.
Marie,
ReplyDeleteI have been on the board of our county libraries when the water was coming through the ceiling and we were in a panic about funding. Yet, the community rallied around (seeing the buckets in the library helped) We were successful in passing a library levy. We now have a librarian that is outgoing and aggressive in new programing (e-books!). The would love to have art programs to bring in the people! I feared the "e-book" takeover, yet, Borders closed and we are still here. People want and need the socialization of a community organization. Partner with the arts.
You bring up some very intriguing questions about the use of technology and how it is used in art and craft. In my mind I would like to think that hand-quilting is a superior craft to that which is done on a machine, but my logic would have to then spread (no pun intended) to other art creation areas as well. Such as, does the use of digital cameras make photography any less worthy. Or, what about anything generated by the computer including architectural designs, they are still conceived by a human and therefore artistic creations, right? I guess the technology is changing so quickly it can be difficult to say what is and what isn't art and does it matter if the stitches aren't made by hand but by a machine? These are good points that I think we all (artists, art educators, etc) to ponder. As far as the e-readers are concerned...give me a good ol' fashioned book anytime. I love the feel of turning paper pages, marking them down where I want to return again, adding notes in the margins, the smell, especially if they are really old, and the way the colors and sizes make a lovely arrangement on my bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteMarie,
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a library project that is community based (the community is the world) that I thought might interest you (and anyone else who enjoys sketchbooks). http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject
Oh! I know about this project! I always wanted to do it and the first year they ran out of sketchbooks, last year I was in grad school :(
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea and reminds me of zines also.